Written All Over My Face
by ihearttvsnark
Summary: Rachel Berry is finally achieving her dream as a star on Broadway. All that's missing is the man she's been in love with for ten years, Noah Puckerman.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** The idea for this story came from the same concept as (500) Days of Summer. Rachel was 15 when she got invovled with Puck and now she's 25. The story is a collection of the moments that happened in between. A special thanks to my friend Katy for "gently" encouraging me to write a Puckleberry story.

_There's nothing wrong but communication_

_It's just a problem of our own creation_

_Sometimes love gets lost in translation_

**Year 10: Part 1**

This was her big moment.

Rachel Berry stood on the center of the stage with the harsh lights pounding down on her surrounded by her fellow cast members and belted out the last lines of the final song with everything she had. Her small body seemed to vibrate with each note and when she got to the last word, she held it, her voice carrying out across the packed theater. The audience had already risen to their feet and their thunderous applause echoed in her ears over the last beats of the music.

The song ended and like she had done every day in rehearsal for the past three grueling months, she threw her arms up in the air, her head falling back, her eyes heavenward and she silently thanked God and everyone else who had brought her to this moment. As the curtain closed and the cast gave themselves a round of congratulatory applause, Rachel stood there and let it all sink in.

This was her big moment.

It was what she had been working toward her entire life. From her very first singing lesson to the countless hours she had spent at the gym to stay in shape. This was the reason she got up early every morning, the reason she sang her heart out every day and danced until her toes were blistered and aching. For twenty-five years everything she had done had brought her here for this moment.

She was the star of a Broadway musical.

Her first performance had gone exactly as she had hoped and dreamed it would. Every mark had been hit, every line recited exactly as it had been written and every song had been sung with the emotion it deserved. There hadn't been a single misstep or a blown cue. Everything had been flawless.

Rachel tried to soak it all in and keep all the details exactly as they were locked in her memory. She wanted to remember the red curtain and the way the silver sequins on her dress shone in the stage lights. She wanted to remember the open-toed black shoes she wore and the sound her silver bangle bracelets made when they slid up and down her arms. She wanted to remember the exact shade of red lipstick (candy apple) that she had been against wearing, but the makeup artist insisted it would make her dark features all the more prominent. She wanted to remember every single thing forever and ever.

This was her big moment.

It was time for the curtain call and Rachel took a step back and watched the other cast members step forward. The chorus line dancers moved to the front of the stage and took their bows. The supporting cast was next. The applause grew louder and louder until finally it was her turn. Moving once again to the center of the stage, Rachel bowed for the audience.

The house lights had been turned on and she saw her fathers sitting proudly in the front row with her best friend. All three of them were on their feet, tears of joy and pride streaming down their cheeks. Rachel felt her own tears building in the corners of her eyes, but she wasn't going to let them fall. Instead she smiled – smiled harder and wider than she'd ever smiled in her life – until her cheeks started to hurt from the effort.

Rachel took another bow as the audience started cheering, "Encore! Encore! Encore!" Bewildered, she glanced at the director who was waiting in the wings and he nodded encouragingly at her. She turned to her other side and saw Derek Casey, the male lead grinning at her.

"It's all you, Rachel," he said proudly before moving back behind the curtain.

She heard the orchestra starting to play the first lines of an all too familiar song. Her already pounding heart started beating even faster like it was trying to escape her chest. The audience, sensing what was about to happen, let out another collective cheer before sinking back into their seats expectantly.

This was her big moment.

Rachel opened her mouth and began to sing.

_Maybe this time, I'll be lucky_

_Maybe this time, he'll stay_

_Maybe this time_

_For the first time_

_Love won't hurry away_

As the music ramped up, Rachel felt like she was spinning back in time. Suddenly, she was fifteen again and she had quit the Glee club to be the star of the school musical. She had been so sure of herself and her talent at the time – no doubt what-so-ever in her mind that she would end up on Broadway someday. She was going to make it out of Lima and be the star she had always dreamed of being and at the time she'd assumed the musical was her first step. She'd been wrong.

Glee club had been her true first step.

Everything she had thought she'd wanted out of life was turned upside down after she joined Glee. Being a Broadway star was still her ultimate goal, but Rachel discovered there were other things in life that were just as important. Friendship, for one, she thought, her eyes falling on the girl in the front row who was her rock. Rachel knew she wouldn't be standing up on this stage without her.

_He will hold me fast_

_I'll be home at last_

_Not a loser anymore_

_Like the last time_

_And the time before_

Love for another, Rachel thought, her heart aching for the man who was not in the audience. Her fifteen-year-old self had wanted to be loved so desperately. She'd gone about it all wrong – Rachel had gone about a lot of things all wrong back then – but eventually, she'd found the love she was looking for with the last person she'd ever in her wildest dreams imagined she could fall in love with.

But she had been in love and it had been real and wonderful and all the other amazing things love was supposed to be right up until the moment it wasn't. Their love had shaped her existence – more so than any amount of training or rehearsing or longing ever could. He had changed her dreams and made her stronger and she would never regret the choices she made because of him. She couldn't – those choices had led her here.

This was her big moment – and she had never felt more alone in her life.

_Everybody loves a winner_

_So nobody loved me;_

'_Lady Peaceful.' 'Lady Happy,'_

_That's what I long to be_

_All the odds are in my favor_

_Something's bound to begin_

_It's got to happen, happen sometime_

_Maybe this time, I'll win_

Rachel smiled as she sang the last line, smiled as the tears she'd tried to hold back rolled down her cheeks. She kept smiling as the curtain closed for a second time. She smiled as her fellow cast members congratulated her and praised her and told her how wonderful her performance was. She said the words in return, smile still in place and tried to pretend there wasn't a hole in her heart.

She turned to walk off the stage and there he was – stage left, just behind the curtain, leaning against the wall, hands in the pockets of his faded jeans, tight white t-shirt showing off his thick muscles – standing there watching her.

Noah Puckerman.

Rachel wondered for a brief moment if she was dreaming or if he was a figment of her imagination. Maybe her mind had brought him there because her heart wanted him to be there. But she knew that was silly and he was as real as she was. Forcing her legs to move, Rachel crossed the stage to where he stood. Even in her heels, her head barely came to his shoulders and she had to tilt her head to look up at him – into those intense eyes that always told her everything she needed to know.

He looked down at her and shrugged his shoulders, a sheepish gesture that didn't fit in with his tough guy, cool exterior. "You didn't think I'd miss your big night, did you, Berry?" He smiled at her – one of his rare genuine smiles without a hint of smirk – the kind that made her heart do little somersaults.

With every ounce of strength she had in her small frame, Rachel hauled off and slapped him hard across the face.

* * *

Please review, all feedback is greatly appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I promise you it doesn't usually take me almost five months to update a story. The feedback and story alerts for this story blew me away. Thank you all for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. A special thanks to Katy and Kathy for reading along the way and encouraging me to continue. **

_What you want me to say that I don't say_

_What you want when it's written all over my face?_

_If you want we could talk about it all day_

_But what's to say when it's written all over my face_

**Year 10**

"What the fuck, Berry?" Puck's hand flew to his cheek. He rubbed it over his face, felt the heat radiating from the spot that he had no doubt now sported her handprint. Tiny girl or not, that shit stung.

Her brown eyes narrowed, her breath hitched in her throat. Tears burned in the back of her eyes, but she was too angry to let them fall for this moment. Noah Puckerman had the nerve to be standing in front of her looking at _her_ with hurt and shock in _his_ eyes like he was somehow the injured party because she had slapped him. The sheer gall sent a wave of fury through her system and her arm moved back with a will of its own, prepared to hit him again.

He wasn't as dumb as he pretended to be and he had always boasted strong reflexes, so Puck wasn't about to be blindsided twice. He caught her hand easily in his and held it there, suspended in midair between their bodies. Touching her again was a jolt to his system, the familiar burn already igniting in his gut.

"Come on, Rach." He gave her his best woeful smile, guaranteed to make the ladies swoon. "You have to be a little happy to see me."

"Happy?" Rachel nearly choked on the word. It was just like Puck to show up out of the blue and expect everything to be magically fine. He had done it over and over again throughout the years and she had been stupid enough to fall for his smile and his sheepish shrug because she had been blindly in love with him. But the last year had changed her forever and as much as she might have wished for him while she was on stage singing about everlasting love, she knew better than to believe that Noah Puckerman was ever going to come through for her.

He was no Prince Charming and she had learned the hard way not to believe in fairy tales.

"You left," she reminded him coldly, yanking her hand away from his and purposely ignoring the shiver that went down her spine from the brief contact. "That was your choice, Noah." She forced herself to look him in the eye, refusing to be swayed by the hurt and hint of desperation she saw reflected there. "You can turn around and go back to wherever you came." Satisfied with herself, Rachel tried to move past him toward her dressing room.

He reached out, curled an arm around her waist and yanked her forcefully against him. He watched her eyes widen in shock and outrage. Her hands splayed across his muscled chest and she weakly attempted to shove him away. But her heart wasn't in it and they both knew it.

"I know I hurt you, Rach. All I'm asking is for a chance to make it up to you. Come on, Munchkin," Puck pleaded.

Hearing him call her that again fueled her anger and gave her the strength she needed to push him away from her. He stumbled back a step, surprised by her force once again.

"You've lost the right to call me that."

He started to reach for her again, determined to do whatever it takes to get through to her, when he felt another hand grasp his arm. Turning, he found himself looking into the disapproving face of Quinn Fabray.

"How dare you show up here? I suggest you leave now before I call for security." Her biting tone was all too familiar to him, having been on the receiving end of it since they were in high school.

"Stay out of it, Quinn. This is between me and Rachel."

"Wrong. I'm between you and Rachel." Quinn stepped between them, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Puck, giving him the full dose of her well-practiced bitch face.

"This is like some fucking messed up version of déjà vu," Puck muttered.

**Year 1**

After their big win at sectionals, tensions were on the rise for the McKinley High Glee club. The big secret was out – Puck, not Finn was the father of Quinn's baby – and lines were drawn in the sand. Most of the club sided with Finn; after all he had been deceived by his girlfriend and his best friend. He was angry and hurt, but he still came to rehearsals and put everything he had into making the club better. But there were those who felt that Puck didn't deserve all the blame. He had offered to do right by Quinn and support her and the baby, but she insisted on hiding behind the lie. They understood why Finn didn't want to be his friend anymore, but not everyone turned their backs on Puck.

Rachel surprised everyone by taking Quinn's side. Even though Quinn had gone out of her way to be horrible to Rachel over the years, she could see how much the former cheerleader was hurting. Her family had thrown her out and her mistake had cost her Finn, a boy she truly loved and her "friends" Brittany and Santana spent more time gossiping about her than actually being there for her.

Rachel found Quinn the Monday after sectionals sitting alone in the auditorium, absently rubbing her ever-growing stomach. Her eyes were moist with tears and she greeted Rachel with a wary look, obviously expecting the worst.

"I know you've been staying with Finn and that has to be uncomfortable for you now that everyone knows the truth," Rachel started, her words coming out even faster than normal. She wasn't sure why she was nervous about this conversation, she had practiced what she was going to say on her walk to school, but her palms were still sweating. "I spoke to my dads and they agreed that you should come live with us." She held her breath, waiting for Quinn's reaction.

The blonde former cheerleader stared at Rachel like she had two heads, which wasn't all that out of the ordinary. Most people looked at her like she was crazy and she knew she was a little high strung and dramatic, but this was a serious matter. Before Quinn could speak, Rachel rushed on.

"Stress isn't good for you or the baby and it can't be easy seeing Finn and Puck everyday at school and in Glee club and it's important for all of us to start preparing for regionals and it's not going to be easy and I could help you with your singing so you don't sound so sharp on certain notes and I really think this will benefit all of us in the long run."

"Why would you want to help me?" Quinn's voice was flat, she had lost her will to be bitchy, but the underlying suspicion was evident in her tone.

Rachel sat down beside her. "You need a friend, Quinn and I meant what I said before. We're in Glee together and that means something to me."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, not ready to trust what Rachel was saying. "Is this about Finn? Do you think this will help you get in his good graces by taking me off his hands?"

Rachel chewed on her lip, she had expected that question and she had her answer planned out in her head. She opened her mouth to tell Quinn that this wasn't about Finn; she wanted to help her because it was the right thing to do and it was best for everyone involved. But she stopped herself.

"I do hope Finn chooses to be with me. He deserves to be with someone who is going to put him first and not betray him with his best friend. But that doesn't mean I want to see you hurting. Please accept my offer," Rachel said. She braced herself for Quinn's reaction.

"At least you're honest," Quinn muttered. She brushed her tears away with the back of her hand and met Rachel's gaze. "Okay."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up to her hairline before she managed to compose herself and offer Quinn a smile. "This is going to be good, Quinn. You'll see," she said confidently.

Of course "good" turned out to be a stretch, at least in the beginning. Quinn expressed her gratitude to Rachel's dads, but she spent most of her time alone in her room. Rachel could hear her crying at night and she made it all the way to her door, but couldn't quite bring herself to knock. She knew if Quinn wanted her help she would ask for it and until that moment came, Rachel was determined to give her space.

The moment did eventually come. Quinn had been living with the Berrys for nearly a month when she knocked on Rachel's door one night. It was well after midnight, but Rachel was still awake, standing in front of her mirror practicing the latest Glee number. She paused mid-note and called for Quinn to come in. (She knew it could only be Quinn because her dads were out of town for a conference).

Quinn seemed hesitant when she walked through the door. It was the first time she'd set foot in Rachel's room, aside from the brief tour she'd gotten when she'd moved in. "I didn't mean to bother you." She gestured to the hairbrush "microphone" in Rachel's hand. "You sounded good."

"Thanks," Rachel replied, clutching the hairbrush a little tighter. Quinn looked tired and her eyes were red, but Rachel didn't comment. Her heart hurt for her former enemy. "Do you want to sing together? Since we're both awake and no one else is here, we can practice for as long as we want although we'll need to drink some lemon water afterward to soothe our vocal chords and we should probably keep talking to a minimum at school tomorrow to rest our voices so they're fresh for Glee rehearsal." She realized Quinn was looking at her like she had two heads again and forced herself to stop rambling. Quinn had something to say and she needed to stay quiet and give her the chance to say it.

"I don't want to be a mother. Not now. Not to this baby," Quinn said. She bit her lip, fresh tears swimming in her eyes. "Go ahead and tell me I'm a terrible person."

The bitter challenge in her voice made Rachel's heart hurt all the more. No matter how mean Quinn had been to her in the past and how many mistakes she had made, it still wasn't right for someone so young to have to be in this much pain. Rachel set her brush down and crossed the room, keeping her eyes on Quinn's.

"I don't think you're a terrible person, Quinn. Just the opposite. I think you're doing something incredibly selfless and brave for your daughter because you love her."

The tears spilled down Quinn's cheeks. "How is giving her away brave? She's going to think I didn't love her enough to keep her. Maybe she's right."

Rachel shook her head. "I know you love her Quinn." She gestured to the hand that rested on her stomach. "I can see it in the way you're always rubbing your stomach and the way you smile when she kicks you. If you didn't love her, this decision wouldn't be keeping you awake every night."

"I want her to have a good life and I can't give her that." Quinn rubbed her hands over the baby, a small smile on her pretty face. "I can tell when she's sleeping because she likes this spot." She rested her hands on the lower right side of her stomach. "I'm probably going to walk lopsided when she gets bigger."

Rachel giggled at the image of Quinn tilting to the right because her baby was settled in one spot and Quinn surprised her by laughing too. Rachel grabbed tissues from her nightstand and Quinn gratefully brushed her tears away.

"I'll never be able to repay you for being so nice to me. I don't deserve it and I would not have done the same for you," Quinn said.

"No," Rachel agreed with a different kind of sadness filling her heart. "I know what it's like to be alone and you don't deserve that. Not when you love your baby as much as you do."

"I'm not sure Puck is going to see it that way," Quinn said. She sat down on Rachel's bed, overwhelmed with emotion and exhaustion. "He thinks we can be some kind of family and that's not going to work. We're in high school and he's not exactly Mr. Commitment."

Rachel sat down beside her. "Noah might surprise you. He'll understand that you want to do what's best for the baby and he'll want that too. You can still have a meaningful relationship even without your daughter. When Noah and I dated briefly, I realized he had feelings for you and I haven't seen any evidence that's changed. Do you have feelings for him?"

Quinn sighed quietly and it took her a minute to meet Rachel's questioning gaze. "I love Finn. That hasn't changed."

"Oh," Rachel said. She wasn't surprised exactly and she couldn't blame Quinn. Finn was wonderful and special and – "We should stay focused on Noah," she said firmly, interrupting her own thoughts. For the first time in as long as she could remember she was starting to feel like she actually had a friend and she didn't want to ruin the moment by gushing about the boy they were both crazy about.

Quinn wasn't fooled by the abrupt subject change – she'd seen Rachel's eyes glaze over at the mention of Finn – but she decided to go with it. "It's funny that you call him 'Noah.' Most people wouldn't dare."

"Well I certainly wasn't going to call my boyfriend Puck."

The outrage in her voice made Quinn laugh again and she felt the baby stirring. "Uh-oh. There might be too much excitement for one night." She rubbed her stomach to try and soothe her daughter back to sleep. "I'm going to tell Puck tomorrow after Glee rehearsal."

Rachel nodded. She could see Quinn's fear resurfacing and reached for her hand. "I'm here anytime you need me, Quinn," she promised. "Please let me know if I can help."

"Thank you," Quinn said. "I'll probably be taking you up on that."

(&&&&&&)

Rachel got the opportunity to follow through on her promise the next afternoon. She'd headed straight home from Glee rehearsal while Quinn stayed behind to talk to Puck. She was singing one of her favorite songs from _Fiddler on the Roof_ (Matchmaker) and dusting the living room when the door opened and Quinn blew in like an angry blonde hurricane. Through her furious tears, she muttered something about "no good selfish bastard" and "running over him with her car" before stomping up the stairs and slamming her bedroom door so hard the sound reverberated through the whole house.

Startled, Rachel stood in the middle of the room and tried to decide whether she should go upstairs and talk to Quinn or if she should check into a hotel for the night to preserve her life. Before she could make a decision, there was a knock on the door and Rachel wondered if it could be the police because Quinn really had murdered someone.

She opened the door and nearly closed it when she saw the look on Puck's face. His eyes were dark with fury and his mouth was set in what could be described as a snarl. His fists were balled at his sides and she could see the rise and fall of his chest beneath his blue t-shirt. Taking a deep breath, Rachel willed her voice not to shake.

"Can I help you?"

"Get out of the way, Berry. I need to talk to fucking Quinn." He started to come in, but Rachel braced herself in the doorframe to block his entry, using all of her body strength to hold the half-open door like a shield.

"That is no way to speak about the mother of your child and it is certainly not a polite way to gain entrance into someone's home," Rachel scolded.

"What the fuck?" Was she seriously standing there lecturing him on manners instead of letting him see Quinn? Puck's fist tightened and he felt almost guilty when he saw her body tense at his movement. "I'm not going to hit you, Berry." His irritation deepened knowing she would even consider the thought. "But I will move your tiny ass out of my way. Quinn!" he shouted. "I know you're here!"

"Stop it," Rachel ordered. She shoved her hand against his chest and used her entire body to force him back out onto the porch. "You cannot come over here and shout at Quinn. She's pregnant, Noah, and you'll scare her." She closed the door at her back and crossed her arms over her chest, hoping he wouldn't see the way her heart was pounding. She'd never really been worried that he was going to hit her, but she was more than a little frightened by his anger.

"She wants to give my baby away, Berry and I'm not going to let that happen. Get out of my way," Puck ordered again.

"No," Rachel replied firmly. "You can see Quinn when you're ready to have a normal, calm conversation about what's best for your daughter. Until you're ready to do that, I think you should leave and please try not to take your anger out on innocent people who might be in your path."

"You're all kinds of crazy, Berry," Puck said. She gave him such a headache with her need to talk everything to death. "This is between me and Quinn."

"I'm between you and Quinn," Rachel reminded him. She met his angry gaze with a steely one of her own. "I'm not going to let you upset her more than you already have."

"How do you think you're going to stop me?" Puck demanded. She wasn't wearing shoes and the top of her head barely came up to his chest. "You're like one of those munchkins trying to protect Dorothy from the wicked witch," he muttered. This shit was messed up.

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Did you just -" Laughter bubbled up in her throat. "You made a Wizard of Oz reference." The thought of big, bad Noah Puckerman watching _The Wizard of Oz_ was too much for her. She started to laugh uncontrollably, nearly doubling over.

"I HAVE A FUCKING LITTLE SISTER!" Puck shouted defensively, insulted that Rachel-fucking-Berry was laughing at him. He wished he had a slushie to throw in her face.

"I'm sorry!" Rachel said through her laughter. Tears were streaming down her face and she was starting to get a stitch in her side, but she couldn't stop. The murderous look on his face only made her laugh harder.

"Hey!" Puck shouted. He gripped her shoulders until she looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm a fucking badass." He shoved his sleeve up and flexed his bicep. "Look at my guns." He smiled proudly.

"Yes, I remember from when we were dating," Rachel said. She reached out to tug his sleeve down and felt a jolt when her fingers touched his muscle. He really did have nice arms.

Puck saw her eyes lingering and smirked. "Badass," he reminded her.

Rachel nodded. "I believe we've established that you are a badass and your arms are lovely even if you do watch _The Wizard of Oz_ in your spare time. That's one of my favorite movies too, by the way, but none of those things give you the right to come here and yell at Quinn."

"It's not my favorite movie," Puck grumbled. "That would be _Die Hard_." He grinned. "Bruce Willis is a badass."

"I'm not familiar with his movies," Rachel admitted. She could see that Puck was starting to calm down. "Has he ever done any musicals?"

Puck laughed at the idea of Bruce Willis singing show tunes. "Fuck, no." He realized what she was doing and his smile faded. "Quinn wants to give our daughter away and I'm just supposed to let her? I'm not a deadbeat like my old man." He sat down on the stoop and scowled into the distance. "Bastard."

Rachel tentatively sat down beside him, the porch was small and their shoulders were touching despite her best effort to sit as close to the railing as possible. He didn't seem to mind, so she tried to think of the best way to approach the subject of his father. She knew he had left the family when Puck was young, but that was the extent of her knowledge since she had never heard Noah talk about him. Then again, it wasn't like they'd had very many conversations over the years. When they'd been dating, she'd done most (all) the talking and he'd done his best to pretend like he was listening.

"Noah, giving your daughter up for adoption so she can have a better life is not the same as a father walking away from his family. It's admirable to want better things for your children than what you had," she said gently.

"Quinn and I could be good parents," Puck replied, his eyes still focused on the street. "I've got my pool cleaning business and I could get another job during the off-season. Quinn's hot and she should be able to find a job once she drops all that weight."

Rachel decided to let the disgusting comments go since she knew he was upset and not purposely being an ass. She heard the desperation in his voice and she wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. But she had no way of knowing whether or not that was true and she doubted he was interested in a hug.

"What about school? And sports and Glee? That's a lot of stuff for you to juggle along with a job. Who would watch the baby while you and Quinn were in school? Or at practice? What happens when the Glee club goes to Nationals and we have to leave Ohio for competition?" She saw his face fall even further and felt horrible. "Noah, I'm not saying it would be impossible, but is it really the best option?"

"We could be a good family."

Rachel bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying. His sincerity physically hurt her. She'd never expected Noah Puckerman to seem so vulnerable. "Do you love Quinn? Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with her?" she asked.

"I dunno." Puck replied with a shrug. "She gets bitchy a lot. Maybe I could love her or whatever." His tone was less than convincing and they both knew it.

"Quinn deserves better than maybe. You both do and so does your baby. Think about it, Noah. Wouldn't it make you feel better to know that your daughter was being raised by loving parents who have no doubts that they love each other? Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love is to let go," Rachel said.

Puck nodded, but he didn't respond. She knew her words were making him think and she let him have his silence. They stayed there for a long time, sitting side by side, staring out at nothing. She wondered what he was thinking, but she didn't ask. He still looked sad, but there was nothing else she could do for him at the moment, as much as she wanted to ease his pain.

Finally, he stood and brushed off his jeans. "Tell Quinn I'm sorry." He stared at the ground as he spoke. "I just want our kid to have a good life."

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know. So does Quinn. She didn't come to this decision lightly."

He nodded again and this time he did look at her. "See ya around, Munchkin," he added, flashing her the briefest of smiles before walking away.

"Bye Noah," Rachel replied, laughing softly. She stood to go back into the house and when she opened the door, she saw Quinn sitting on the stairs. Her pretty face was stained with tears and she tried and failed to keep more from falling.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you deal with him when he was so angry but I just couldn't."

"Quinn, it's all right." Rachel went to her and hugged her hard, offering her the comfort she'd been too timid to give Noah. "I think he's starting to see where you're coming from. He asked me to tell you that he was sorry."

"Really?" Quinn's eyes were hopeful when she lifted her head from Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel nodded. "Noah just wants what's best for the baby too. I think everything is going to be okay," she said.

"I can't believe you got through to him," Quinn said. She wiped her tears away and smiled when she felt her daughter shift in her belly. "Thank you."

"Quinn, you don't have to keep thanking me," Rachel said. "I want to help you and Noah as much as I can."

(&&&&&&)

She got her chance a few months later after Quinn gave birth to an adorable baby girl with her fair skin and Puck's eyes. Rachel held the little bundle in her arms, amazed at how tiny she was. The baby looked up at her like she knew exactly who she was and then closed her eyes and went to sleep. Rachel politely excused herself when the adoptive parents showed up and waited with her dads in the hallway while Puck and Quinn said good-bye. Rachel's heart hurt a little when she watched the couple leave with the baby and it absolutely ached a few minutes later when she watched Puck walk away, avoiding her gaze.

Later that night, Quinn cried herself to sleep in Rachel's arms. She had reached out to her parents to let them know that she had given birth and her mother had made polite conversation and then found an excuse to get off the phone. Quinn's father refused to come to the phone. Exhausted and sad, Quinn told Rachel that she knew she was doing the right thing just before finally drifting off. Rachel stroked her hair and promised to do whatever she could for her.

The next day, Quinn had a steady stream of glee club visitors, including Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury. The nurses would only allow two visitors at a time, so the group rotated between Quinn's room and the lounge down the hall. They whispered amongst themselves about Puck – speculating about his absence and how he must be feeling. Rachel was tempted to tell them it was none of their business, but the truth was she was thinking about Puck too and she hated knowing he was going through this alone.

She checked with Kurt and Brittany and made them promise not to leave Quinn's side until she returned and caught a ride home with Mercedes. She watched the car pull away and instead of going into the house, she started walking. Ten minutes later, as she stood on the doorstep preparing to knock, Rachel realized this was the first time she'd ever been to the Puckermans' house and she wasn't really sure what to expect. She knocked once and nervously smoothed out the red and black skirt she wore with her favorite owl sweater.

Puck opened the door and if he was surprised to see her, he didn't let it show. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt that was tight across his thick chest. He hadn't shaved and there was a light stubble along his jaw. "What's up, Berry?"

She couldn't read his tone anymore than she could his expression, but Rachel wasn't going to let that stop her. She knew he had to be hurting and she wasn't going to let him suffer alone. "Hello Noah. May I come in?"

Puck shrugged and moved aside so she could come into the house. She tried to glance around without being obvious about it. The house was nice – slightly cluttered, but clearly homey – and lived in. Puck headed for the family room and Rachel followed. She had tried rehearsing what she wanted to say on the walk over, but now that she was here, nothing seemed quite right.

The TV was turned to ESPN and Puck sat down on the couch, gesturing for Rachel to sit as well. She supposed that was his version of polite, so she sat beside him and waited another beat to see if he was going to say anything or ask what she was doing there. When he didn't, she decided she was going to have to do the talking (as usual).

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I know this isn't easy for you," Rachel said gently. She started to put her hand on his arm and then thought better of it, folding her hands in her lap instead.

Puck shrugged again, his eyes focused on the TV. Rachel chewed on her bottom lip. She had known offering Noah comfort would be a lot more challenging than offering it to Quinn. But she was Rachel Berry and she lived for challenges.

"Noah, I want to help you," Rachel said. This time, she did reach out, resting her hand on his forearm. "There must be something I can do for you."

He finally turned to her, his eyes meeting hers. She could see the sadness reflected there and the pain he desperately needed to vocalize even if he didn't know it. She offered him an encouraging smile. Instead of speaking, he leaned into her, pressing her back into the couch. His hand skimmed over her thigh, quickly slipping beneath the material of her skirt.

"Noah!" Rachel cried, a breath before his lips could touch hers. She removed his hand from her leg, ignoring the warmth it left behind. "What are you doing?"

"You said you wanted to help me. This would help," Puck replied.

"No!" Rachel said firmly, rising to her feet before he could touch her again. "Noah, sex is not going to make you forget that you gave your daughter up for adoption. I came here because I do not want you to be alone. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but I'm not having sex with you and I'm not leaving either." She crossed her arms over her chest and sent him a look daring him to challenge her, all the while praying he couldn't see how hard her heart was pounding against her chest.

"Do what you want," Puck said with another shrug. He reached for the remote and turned the volume up.

Rachel sat back down on the couch (leaving a bit more space this time) and mirrored Puck, focusing on the television like the sportscasters were the most interesting people on earth. She was tempted to glance at him out of the corner of her eye, but she stopped herself on the slight chance that he might be looking back at her. If he wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, that was fine with her. She would sit there as long as he needed her to.

"I didn't think she'd be that small."

It takes Rachel a few seconds to register when he finally speaks. She'd been half-listening to the sportscasters arguing about foul shots and trade deadlines for almost an hour and she'd nearly given up on expecting him to talk to her. She turned slightly to face him and he had shifted his body toward her as well, his eyes were downcast. But he knew he had her attention and kept talking.

"I mean as much as I made fun of Quinn for being a whale, I knew the baby wasn't going to come out like a giant or something, but she was really small." He finally met her gaze again and Rachel's heart nearly broke when she saw the anguish in his eyes.

"She was small," Rachel agreed. "Noah, I know you wanted to raise her, but I believe this is the right decision for all of you. I believe you know that too on some level or you wouldn't have agreed to let Quinn put her up for adoption."

Puck nodded and Rachel saw him swallow hard. "It was still hard."

"I know that too," Rachel said. She reached for his hand, held it between hers. "It's okay to be sad."

"I'm not sad," Puck replied defensively. He pulled his hand away from her. "I'm a badass. Puckerone doesn't do sad."

"Noah," Rachel said. The look on her face clearly told him she didn't believe a word he was saying anymore than he did. "You don't have to pretend with me," she reminded him.

He shrugged. "I miss her, okay?" His gaze shifted back to the couch. "I know it's stupid since I only knew her for like an hour. But she was mine and now she's gone."

Tears burned in the corners of her eyes, but Rachel knew she couldn't let them fall. She scooted closer to Puck on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. He remained still and she waited for him to push her away and tell her he was fine. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, his arms came around her and he held her tight enough to crush her.

She didn't complain or pull away. They stayed that way for a long time – wrapped in each other's arms without saying a word. It wasn't easy for Rachel to be silent (it wasn't natural), but she knew there were no words that would comfort him now. This was the best thing she could do for him. (If she was being honest with herself, she was enjoying the comfort his embrace was giving her as well. It was just nice to be held).

Puck pulled away suddenly and Rachel tried not to miss being in his arms. She could see that he was still sad, but somehow he didn't seem quite as broken as he had before. He offered her a lopsided smile. "Do you want some water or something?"

Rachel smiled. "That would be lovely, Noah, thank you."

Puck nodded and started for the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and turned to face her. "Thanks for coming over, Munchkin."

Her smile widened, showing off her dimples. "You're welcome, Noah."

**Year Ten**

Quinn continued to scowl at Puck, making it clear she was unimpressed with his presence. He ignored her and sent another pleading look to Rachel. "Come on, just give me ten minutes. Please," he added.

Before either woman could respond, Rachel's dads made their way over to them and took turns sweeping their daughter into their arms. Even Quinn couldn't hold onto her anger as the two men gushed over their baby girl on her big night.

"We're so proud of you, peanut," Mark Berry said. He turned to discreetly wipe away his tears and smiled when he saw Puck. "Noah! What a nice surprise!"

"Hey Mr. B," Puck replied, caught off guard by the friendly greeting. "How are you?"

"On top of the world," Jack Berry responded for his partner. He reached over to shake Puck's hand. "I'm glad you're here, son. We've got a big dinner planned to celebrate our girl's success. We'd love for you to join us."

"I don't think Puck can stay," Quinn said. She sent him a look daring him to challenge her.

He smirked. Puckzilla had never backed down in the face of a challenge and he wasn't going to start now – not when he had so much on the line. "I'd love to have dinner with you." His gaze locked with Rachel's. "I wouldn't miss our girl's big night for anything."

Rachel's heart turned over in her chest. It wasn't fair that one look from him could still turn her inside out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Well, more of a reminder. This story is AU and does not follow the exact timeline of the show. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and adding this story to alerts and favorites. A special thanks to Katy for being the bestest. **

Rachel felt like she was watching a scene from a movie instead of an actual moment of her life. She had just starred in a Broadway show – her lifelong dream had come true. Wrapping her mind around that was surreal enough, but watching Noah smiling and joking with her dads seemed even more impossible. If it wasn't for the fact that Quinn was standing there glaring at Noah like she was going to start beating him with her purse any second, Rachel would think that she was dreaming the entire scenario.

She tried to focus on the conversation but her brain couldn't seem to process the words. All she could think about was that this was how she always imagined this moment. Her dads were here along with her best friend and the man she loved to support her on her big night. They should be laughing and hugging and enjoying every last minute of it.

But Noah had left her and stayed away for an entire year without as much as a text message. She couldn't just stand there and pretend all was right with the world. The lump was starting to rise in her throat and Rachel was not about to cry in front of him. She summoned her strength, willing her voice not to betray her emotions.

"I'm going to go change and wash off the stage makeup," Rachel announced, pleased when her tone sounded light and carefree. "I'll be back soon," she added.

Her dads smiled and continued with the conversation and she refused to meet Noah's gaze as she hurried down the hall to her dressing room. She didn't bother closing the door behind her and as expected, Quinn arrived within seconds and shut the door at her back.

Rachel calmly sat down at the dressing table and reached for the special cloth she used to remove the heavy stage makeup. She concentrated all her energy on the task and wondered how long it would take Quinn to start yelling. She supposed she should be grateful that Quinn did not have her flair for the dramatic. If the situation were reversed, Rachel knew she probably would have already asked Quinn a hundred questions.

Quinn crossed the small room and stood behind Rachel's chair, her arms folded across her chest. The silence was driving Rachel crazy and she raised her head to meet Quinn's eyes in the mirror.

"Just say it, Quinn."

"All right," Quinn said, holding Rachel's gaze in the reflection. "Why didn't you tell your dads what happened with Puck?" she asked. Her voice was surprisingly calm.

Rachel bit her lip and wiped the last of the stage blush from her cheeks. "It never came up," she said.

Quinn rolled her eyes and irritation flashed on her pretty face. "Really, Rachel?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your dads never asked how Puck was for an entire year?"

Rachel sighed. She should have known she wouldn't be able to get out of this that easily. "It's not that simple, Quinn. I wasn't sure what to say and I didn't want them to be concerned."

Quinn leaned down so the side of her head pressed lightly against Rachel's. "He broke you, Rachel," she said quietly.

The tears she'd been determined to fight prickled in the corner of her eyes. "I know."

**Year 9**

The door closed soundly behind him and she remained rooted in the center of the living room. His words echoed over and over again in her head. _It's over. Good-bye._It had to be some sort of bad dream. Noah loved her. He wouldn't leave her. He was going to come back any second and tell her the whole thing was a mistake.

She stared at the door, mentally willing it to open. He had to come back. They were meant to be. He was her prince, her happily ever after, her entire world. He loved her and he wouldn't just leave her standing in the middle of her apartment. He was coming back. He had to come back.

But he didn't come back. Rachel stood there waiting, barely remembering to breathe, and staring at the closed door. She had no idea how much time had passed – seconds, minutes, hours – but she remained in the same spot he'd left her until her legs began to shake and panic set in. He wasn't coming back. Noah had left her.

The shaking grew worse until her legs could no longer support her body. Rachel crumbled to the floor, shocked out of her numbness when her knees hit the carpet. Noah was gone. The realization made her gasp and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. Her chest constricted, her lungs desperate for air, and the sobs began to pour out of her.

Her tears burned her cheeks and she continued to fight to breathe as the sobs racked her small body. Noah wasn't coming back. He'd said good-bye for good. Each time she remembered the words, her body reacted with a violent sob. Her gut churned and Rachel felt the strong urge to vomit, but all she could do was cry.

She didn't notice when the door opened. She didn't hear Quinn's frantic concern. It wasn't until Quinn dropped to her knees in front of her and took her face in her hands demanding to know what was wrong that Rachel focused on her friend's scared face and realized she wasn't alone.

"Did someone hurt you?" Quinn cried. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she searched her friend for telltale bruises or scrapes. She'd heard Rachel crying from the hallway and she'd grabbed her phone to call 911 as she let herself into the apartment. As far as she could tell, there was nothing physically wrong with her and nothing seemed out of place in the apartment so she didn't think someone had broken in.

Rachel didn't respond. She couldn't say the words out loud. That would make it real and this couldn't be real. She started crying harder.

"Rachel, please tell me what's wrong," Quinn pleaded. Her heart hurt to see her best friend in so much pain and she felt her own tears threatening. If she couldn't help her, she needed to call someone who could. "I'm calling Puck."

"No!" Rachel cried. She snatched the phone from Quinn's hand and tossed it away from her.

Quinn was momentarily relieved to see Rachel do something other than cry – at least she knew her friend was still in there. She started to ask why she didn't want her to call Puck and suddenly Quinn knew the answer.

"Rachel, did Puck do this to you?" She ran her hand soothingly over Rachel's head. "Did you two have a fight?" She knew Rachel was a drama queen, but she'd never seen her devastated like this.

"He left," Rachel said. She choked on the words and started crying harder.

Quinn had a million questions but she knew now was not the time to ask. Clearly this was not a simple fight. She was going to kill Puck with her bare hands for hurting Rachel, but now was not the time for that. She rose to her feet and gently pulled Rachel up from the floor. She put her arm around Rachel's waist and tugged her to the couch.

Rachel barely registered that she was moving. The sobs had stopped, but tears continued slipping down her face. Quinn recovered her phone, typed out a brief text message to cancel her plans for the evening and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator before returning to the couch and settling in beside Rachel.

"I want you to drink this slowly," Quinn said. When Rachel didn't move, Quinn held the bottle to her lips herself. "Please, Rach. All that crying is going to dehydrate you and I know that's not good for your throat."

Rachel sipped the water, feeling nothing as the liquid touched her dry throat. Quinn seemed satisfied and set the bottle down on the table before wrapping her arms tightly around her friend.

"Whatever you need, I'm here," she offered.

Numbly, Rachel dropped her head on Quinn's shoulder. All she needed was Noah and he'd just told her he was leaving and there was nothing she could do or say to change his mind.

He was gone and she was empty.

**Year 10**

Puck was only half listening as Mark talked about his job and how quiet things were in Lima. Jack seemed to be absorbed in the playbill and Puck was still trying to figure out why they were acting like they were happy to see him and not ready to tear his head off at a moment's notice for what he'd done to Rachel.

He glanced in the direction Rachel and Quinn had disappeared in. He knew Rachel could spend hours changing her clothes and she might take even longer if she was trying to avoid him. There was also a good chance Quinn was looking for a heavy object to brain him with. Those bitch glares of hers were already freaking him out (not that he would ever show it. He had a reputation to uphold). It wasn't like he'd never seen Quinn mad before (fifteen and pregnant, anyone?) but she was heading to a whole new level of scary. That shit was messed up.

"I was reading the scouting reports this morning. It seems like the Knights have a decent shot to be in first before the All Star break," Jack commented, finally tearing his eyes away from the playbill.

"Yeah, we're kicking ass," Puck said. "Sorry," he added quickly remembering who he was talking to. Neither of Rachel's dads was big on curse words.

Mark laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Noah. You're a professional athlete. That language comes with the territory," he said.

"Right," Puck muttered. He still felt like he was in some kind of twilight zone. "Have you been keeping up with the Indians? They seem to be fighting the Royals for last place again."

"Except when they're playing the AL Central," Jack pointed out. "I was at the game last weekend when they beat the Twins." As he launched into stories of the game, Puck took the opportunity to tune out of the conversation again.

It was obvious Rachel hadn't said anything to her dads about what went down between them which meant as far as they were concerned; he was still Rachel's boyfriend. That had to mean something in crazy girl logic, but Puck wasn't sure what exactly. But Jack and Mark were treating him like he was part of the family, just like they always had even before he was with Rachel. Most dads wouldn't let a guy like him near their daughter (especially since they knew he'd been the one to knock up their surrogate daughter), but they had gone out of their way to include him from the beginning.

**Year 2**

Out of all the sports he played baseball had always been Puck's favorite. The fact that he got to swing a bat was only part of the reason he enjoyed it (a big part – come on – coach literally gives him a weapon to take out on the field with him. He loves that shit). But it was more than that. Puck liked the rhythm of the game and the responsibility of being the catcher.

He was eight the first time he put on the catcher's mask and took his place behind the plate. He had been playing second base but the coach moved him because he kept "accidentally" stepping on the runners' hands when they tried to slide in for a steal. (No punks were getting past him). He was pretty sure the coach meant for it to be a punishment but it turned out to be pretty fucking awesome.

It was the catcher's job to keep the pitcher flowing and to set the pace of the game. Since they lived the middle-of-fucking-nowhere known as western Ohio, Puck had been seeing the same kids attempting to bat for years. He knew their weaknesses and how to get them to strike out. Matt was the best pitcher they had and the two of them were a damn good combination. They were the rockstars.

Of course the rest of their talentless team tended to bring them down. That afternoon's practice had gone longer than usual because Coach T. took a foul ball to the knee and made everyone stop playing and run laps even though it was Finn's terrible hitting that had been at fault.

Puck shoved his glove in his locker and turned to leave only to find Finn standing in his path. He had a weird look on his face that Puck knew meant he had to ask him something and he really didn't want to. Even though things were awkward between them for a long time after the Quinn incident, Puck could still read Finn like a book.

"What's up, man?"

"Nothing. Good practice," Finn said lamely. His eyes darted from his shoes to the wall of lockers behind Puck's head.

Puck raised an eyebrow. He wasn't in the mood to play guessing games after Finn's fuck up had ruined practice and eaten away his whole afternoon. "Dude, just tell me what you want. I've got places to be."

Finn looked at his shoes again. "I was just wondering how Rachel's doing after the whole Jesse thing," he said.

"What Jesse thing?" Puck asked. He knew Rachel had been seeing that Jesse kid from Vocal Adrenaline for the past few weeks but he didn't spend much time thinking about it. Some of the show choir kids were pissed because she was fraternizing with the enemy or some shit but he didn't see what the big deal was. It was Rachel. She was the last person who would ever go against the team.

"You haven't heard?" Finn finally looked him in the eye. "They broke up. Kurt and Mercedes told me he was just using her to mess with our heads."

"Fuck Kurt and Mercedes," Puck snapped. Those bitches were always getting on Rachel about something. "And why are you gossiping like a chick?" he demanded.

Finn took a step back, surprised by the anger in his voice. "I just thought you might know since you spend so much time with Rachel," he said hesitantly.

Puck glared at him. He wasn't sure what Finn was getting at, but he was pissing him off. The truth was he did spend a lot of time with Rachel. She had come through for him when no one else had and Puck would never forget that. But it was more than that. Berry was crazy as all get out, but she was fun too. He _liked_ spending time with her and he was secure enough in his badass self to admit it. That didn't mean he kept track of every aspect of her life. Fuck, his brain would explode if he tried to keep all her crazy straight.

But he would kick anyone's ass who tried to mess with her.

"If that punk hurt her, I'll take care of it," Puck said.

Finn nodded in agreement. "So…do you think she's okay?" he asked.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Dude, man up and ask her yourself. I'm out of here." He moved past Finn before he could stutter out another word. He wasn't sure what the deal was with Finn and Rachel and he didn't really care. He'd had enough relationship drama to last a lifetime and he was not getting in the middle of that train wreck.

But fifteen minutes later, he was parking his truck on the street behind Quinn's car in front of Rachel's. It wasn't like it was out of the ordinary for him to stop by her place after practice. They were friends and he spent a lot of time there. He had no intention of braiding her hair or spooning feeding her ice cream or whatever other fucked up things girls did when they were sad. He was just seeing what was going on. It wasn't like Rachel wouldn't talk his ear off one way or the other until his brain bled.

"Fuck," Puck muttered as he rang the doorbell. What the hell was up with the over thinking? Maybe Finn wasn't the only one who was turning into a girl.

Quinn opened the door and arched her eyebrow in that bitchy way she had perfected in middle school. "You're late."

"Didn't realize I was on the clock," Puck replied. He walked past her into the house and toed off his sneakers. They had come to terms with the mistakes they had made and settled into a comfortable friendship where neither one of them held back on the sarcasm. It worked for them. "Is Berry crying her eyes out somewhere?"

"No." Quinn closed the door and glanced toward the kitchen before lowering her voice. "She's making dinner and acting like she doesn't have a care in the world."

Puck frowned. That didn't sound like Rachel. That certainly didn't sound like Rachel after finding out she'd been used (if that was the case). He'd seen her burst into hysterical tears because someone (Finn) missed a dance step or someone (Brittany) sang the wrong lyrics. He assumed finding out her boyfriend was using her would sent her over the edge of her already limited sanity.

"What happened?"

Quinn shrugged. "He ended things and she was okay with it. They hugged. That's weird, right?" she asked.

"Fuck if I know. Santana threw a trophy at my head last time she ended things."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "She found you in the equipment shed with that sophomore. You're lucky she didn't do worse."

Puck snorted at the memory. The girl (Sarah? Sharon?) had been right in the middle of giving him head when Santana showed up and started freaking out. He'd invited her to join them and that was when she started throwing things. Crazy bitch. Maybe he'd give her a call later if he didn't have to kick Jesse's ass.

"You're disgusting," Quinn said bringing him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"I know what you're thinking," Quinn hissed. She narrowed her eyes. "Go talk to Rachel and find out if she's really okay." She turned on her heel and marched up the stairs before he could respond.

Puck rolled his eyes at her back and made his way into the kitchen. Rachel was standing at the stove stirring the sauce for the pasta that was boiling in the pot beside it. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had a pink apron on over the dress she had worn to school. (Of course Rachel Berry would wear a fucking apron). She was humming softly and nothing about her appearance suggested anything out of the ordinary had happened.

"What the fuck, Berry?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice and dropped the spatula into the sauce. "Noah!" She sent him a disapproving glance over her shoulder and fished the utensil out of the pot. "A simple 'hello' would have sufficed," she pointed out.

"Q said things were over between you and Jesse," Puck replied, ignoring her scolding and the fact that Finn was actually the first person to share the news with him. He didn't see any point in bringing_ that_ up. "Do I need to pound his face in?"

"No," Rachel replied. She set the spatula down and went to the sink to wash the sauce from her hands before turning to face Puck. "Jesse and I made a mutual decision to end our relationship because we both knew we were in it for the wrong reasons and it wasn't fair to either of us. I think we were quite mature and…" She stopped when he held his hand up in front of her face.

"All I needed to know was if he needed a Puckerone beat down," Puck said. "Save all those girly details for Quinn." He walked over to the stove and used the spatula to grab some pasta out of the water. "This needs a few more minutes."

"Noah!" Rachel took the spatula away and pushed him aside.

"What?" He held up his hands in mock surrender and flashed her his best smile. "I used the spoon. I wasn't raised in a barn."

Rachel bit the corner of her lip, but she couldn't stop the smile. "I suppose I should be grateful for that." She stirred the sauce again and turned down the burner. "I appreciate your concern, Noah, but I assure you there is no need for violence." She held up a finger before he could speak. "Not that there is ever a need for violence and I wish you would see that," she added.

Sometimes she was spooky with the way she seemed to know what he was going to say. He was just going to tease her about admitting violence was good sometimes (most times in his opinion). "Whatever, Munchkin. If you change your mind, you know who to call."

"Thanks. I think," Rachel said. She gestured to the cabinet. "Would you mind setting the table? Quinn was supposed to do it but she conveniently disappeared after she sent you in here to interrogate me. I assume you're staying for dinner. Did practice run late?"

"Yeah, it was a fucking joke," Puck muttered. He ignored the dirty look she shot him and pulled three bowls out of the cabinet.

"You need two more. My dads will be here," Rachel replied. She went to the refrigerator and started pulling out the ingredients for the salad.

Puck's eyebrows shot up. "You want me to have dinner with your dads?" He had never actually met either of Rachel's dads. He knew who they were – he'd seen them at temple and at Glee performances and other places around town since Lima was the size of a postage stamp. But he'd never been formally introduced and he preferred to keep it that way. Dads tended to hate him on sight and considering his onetime baby mama was living in their house, Puck assumed they already had a low opinion of him.

"It's not an outrageous request," Rachel replied. "You're here almost every day and they like to meet my friends. What's the big deal? You're not scared, are you?" She smiled at him like she was going to burst out laughing at the thought.

"No," Puck snapped. He wasn't afraid of anyone, let alone Rachel's dads. He just wasn't that big on making small talk or whatever. "What do gay guys even talk about?" The last thing he needed was to hear more about theater or fucking Barbra.

Rachel rolled her eyes. She knew he wasn't trying to be offensive so she wasn't the slightest bit bothered by the question. "They talk about me a lot because I'm extremely talented and they're proud of me. But they also talk about the same things everyone else does. Daddy is a big baseball fan," she said.

Before Puck could respond, the back door opened and one of Rachel's dads walked in with a smile on his face. "Hi Peanut." He pressed a kiss to Rachel's cheek and turned to Puck with a pleasant smile. "Hello Noah. I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Mark Berry." He held out his hand.

"Hey," Puck replied. He shook his hand and tried not to roll his eyes as Rachel stood there beaming. He was kind of glad that the smaller of her two dads had come home first. He didn't seem all that threatening and he wasn't acting like having Puck in his house was the worst thing in the world.

"Daddy, I told Noah he could stay for dinner. It's almost ready," Rachel said.

"That sounds great. I just talked to your dad and he should be here any second. I'm going to go wash up and let Quinn know it's dinner time," Mark said. He hummed to himself as he made his way to the stairs.

Rachel shot Puck another triumphant smile and handed him the salad bowl to put on the table while she put the pasta in the strainer to drain out the water. He still wasn't sure staying for dinner was the best option because for all he knew her dads were going to tag team him with a lecture, but it was too late to back out now. He figured he'd just keep his head down, focus on the food and let Berry run her mouth.

Jack Berry walked through the door a few minutes later and like his partner, greeted Rachel with a kiss and Puck with a handshake and a smile. Puck found himself sitting at the table with Rachel on one side and Jack on the other while Quinn sat across from him with a smirk on her face that he did not care for.

As Puck expected, Rachel monopolized most of the conversation. She described her school day in detail and then launched into a description of her dance class. Puck kept his eyes focused on his food so he wasn't tempted to glare at Quinn. He didn't know why she thought his discomfort was so funny. (Okay, he knew why but he didn't like it). He was starting to think that this dinner thing wasn't so bad when he heard Rachel say his name.

"Noah plays baseball, Daddy."

"Really?" Jack turned to Puck with interest. "Which position do you play?"

He swallowed the food he'd just shoved in his mouth without bothering to chew it and kicked Quinn under the table when she snorted into her water. "Catcher."

"Excellent! Tell me is McKinley's baseball team any better than their football or basketball teams?" Jack asked.

"F – no," Puck replied, barely stopping himself from dropping the f-bomb. "We have a few decent players but most of these guys haven't progressed since little league. But our pitcher has a good arm so if we can get any run support, we might have a shot at not losing every single game."

Jack nodded. "Sadly, our professional team is not much better. The Indians looked terrible in spring training," he commented.

"That team is a joke. Every year they trade all their good players before the All Star break and then wonder why they lose. It's too bad I hate the National League or I'd be a Reds fan. They have a shot at winning the division this year," Puck replied.

Mark laughed. "Jack said the same thing to me the other day." He leaned close to Quinn and lowered his voice. "I didn't even know there was more than one league."

Jack smiled at his partner and then turned back to Puck. "You have no idea how much I needed someone to talk baseball with. When's your next game? I'd like to check out the team for myself," he said.

"Next Saturday," Puck replied. The next words tumbled out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying. "Feel free to come if you don't mind being the only person in the stands." Most people had learned their lesson and stopped coming to McKinley sporting events years ago.

"I believe we're free that day," Mark said. "Perhaps we can make a day of it and have lunch after the game," he suggested.

"That's a great idea, Daddy," Rachel said. She smiled proudly at Puck. "You'll come to lunch with us, right?"

Puck's head was spinning as the conversation sank in. Not only were Rachel's dads not treating him like he was the scum of the earth, they were volunteering to come to his baseball game and go out to lunch afterward. They were including him like he was part of their family or something. That had never happened to him before. He wasn't really sure what to say, so he just nodded.

**Year 10**

Rachel zipped her sundress and touched up her lip gloss. She looked like herself again and she was much calmer thanks to the breathing techniques she'd been practicing while Quinn paced behind her. There would be no more tears tonight.

"I'm ready." She turned away from the mirror to face her friend. Getting past Quinn would be a true test of her acting skills. There was only one person who knew her better than her best friend and she had no intention of letting him see her true feelings.

Quinn narrowed her eyes and studied her quietly for a moment as Rachel struggled not to squirm under the scrutiny of her gaze. Quinn's eyes softened before she spoke.

"Rachel, you don't have to do this. I can go out there and make Puck come up with an excuse to miss dinner," she said.

She was tempted. Rachel knew Puck pretended not to be scared of Quinn, but she also knew her friend would follow through on her word and make him leave if she asked.

"That's not necessary, Quinn. My dads love Noah and they would ask a lot of questions I'm not ready to answer if he left. It's just one dinner," she said.

Quinn wasn't convinced. "This is your night, Rachel. You shouldn't have to fake happiness because Puck decided to drop in."

"I know that," Rachel said softly. She didn't have the energy to keep going round and round over this. "Quinn, I don't want to fight with you. Please trust me and try to stop killing Noah with your eyes. My dads will notice something is wrong."

"Fine," Quinn agreed reluctantly. "If this is what you want, I will support you. But I can't promise you I won't jam my fork into his leg at dinner."

Rachel giggled. "Please don't."

"No promises," Quinn reiterated, pleased to see a genuine smile on her friend's face. She linked her arm through Rachel's. "We should get back out there before Puck and Jack put Mark to sleep with their baseball talk."

"Thank you, Quinn," Rachel said gratefully. She didn't think she could get through this night without her.

"We're in this together," Quinn reminded her. They made their way back down the hall to where the men were waiting.

Rachel could feel Puck's eyes on her and for a brief moment, her nerve faltered and she considered running back to her dressing room to hide until Quinn made him go away. It wasn't fair that one look from him could still make her knees weak. It wasn't fair that he was still so gorgeous that he took her breath away.

It certainly wasn't fair that she was still in love with him even though she desperately wished she wasn't.

Jack held the door open as they walked out of the theater and Mark offered Quinn his arm. She didn't hesitate to take it even though she shot Rachel an apologetic look over her shoulder. Puck fell into step beside Rachel and she said a silent prayer that he would not reach for her arm. She couldn't handle it if he touched her right now.

The universe seemed to be on her side because he slipped his hands in his pockets. "You were really amazing out there, Rachel," he said.

"Thank you." She wanted to ask why he was there, but she didn't trust her voice. Both her dads were talking to Quinn about the play and she was grateful they were distracted from what was going on between her and Noah.

"Rach, I need to tell you something," Puck started. He stopped walking and turned to her only to see that her attention was elsewhere. He watched as she sprinted forward and ran right into the open arms of Jesse St. James.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel stepped back from the hug and smiled up at Jesse. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a show."

Jesse returned her smile and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I raced over here as soon as the curtain closed. I hated missing your first show, but I was not about to miss your celebratory dinner. Was it everything you imagined?" he asked.

Rachel nodded. She didn't quite trust her voice as she felt that familiar lump rising in her throat again. Jesse was the one person who understood exactly how special it was to go on stage in a Broadway theater for the first time as the star she'd always imagined being. "It was amazing," she said after taking a moment to compose herself. "Everything about it was perfect."

"I told you," Jesse said. He pulled her into another hug. "What song did you sing for your encore?"

Rachel didn't ask how he knew she'd been asked to do an encore. "_Maybe This Time_," she replied.

"Excellent choice," Jesse said. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm so proud of you, Rachel."

"Thank you," Rachel said. She hugged him harder, not ready to let go. If she could just keep her head buried in Jesse's shoulder, she wouldn't have to think about the fact that Noah was back or that her fathers had no idea what had happened between them. She wouldn't have to see the suspicious look on Quinn's face and she wouldn't have to hear whatever it was Noah had started to tell her before Jesse arrived. She could just pretend that all was right with her world again.

Her sudden death grip on him did not escape Jesse's notice. He looked over the top of Rachel's head and was surprised to see Puck standing there with his hands in his pockets and a disappointed look on his face. Jesse nodded politely in his direction and glanced at Quinn. He knew the look on her face all too well.

"What's going on?" he asked Rachel quietly.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted. She reluctantly pulled back from Jesse. "Please try to keep Quinn from killing him," she whispered. She turned around and plastered a bright smile on her face for her dads' sake. "Jesse will be joining us for dinner."

"That's wonderful," Mark said. He extended his hand to Jesse. "It's good to see you, Jesse. We're looking forward to seeing your show tomorrow afternoon."

Jesse shook his hand and then Jack's. "I appreciate that, Sir. I wish I'd been able to see Rachel's debut. I'm sure she was magnificent. I attended the dress rehearsal this afternoon and she was flawless."

Jack smiled proudly while Mark discreetly wiped fresh tears from his eyes. Jesse wrapped an arm around Quinn's waist and pulled her close before turning his attention to Puck. "I'm glad you made it for the show. How have you been?" he asked.

"All right," Puck said. "You?" he asked. Puck had gotten to know Jesse pretty well over the years and he wasn't a bad guy aside from the whole being the male version of Rachel thing. That shit still freaked him. But Jesse being there might work out in his favor if he could keep Quinn distracted.

"Good. I'm finishing up an eight week run with my current show and then starting a new one that should go for three months. How's Arizona?" Jesse asked. He squeezed Quinn's hip when he saw her scowling at Puck out of the corner of his eye.

"Hot," Puck replied. He fought the urge to smirk at Quinn and glanced over at Rachel. She was watching him, but looked away the second their eyes met. He really needed to get her alone to tell her the real reason he was there.

"We've got two cabs waiting," Mark announced. "Jack and I can take one if the four of you would like to squeeze into the other."

"That's not necessary, Daddy. I'll come with you," Rachel said. She practically threw herself into the cab before anyone could object.

Puck sighed and headed for the other cab. He slid all the way in and waited for Quinn and Jesse to join him. He half expected Jesse to sit between the two of them, but Quinn crawled in first, keeping her distance from him. The second Jesse closed the door; she whirled on Puck with narrowed eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you hurt Rachel enough? This is her big night and you're ruining it!"

"Fuck, Quinn, it's none of your business," Puck snapped. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to her bitch at him the entire drive to the restaurant. He sent Jesse a look. "Can't you control your chick?"

Jesse grabbed Quinn's fist a split second before it connected with Puck's face. "I think you both need to calm down. This night is about _Rachel,_" he reminded them sternly. "She won't like having to explain to her dads why Puck suddenly has a black eye."

Quinn huffed, but she folded her arms across her chest and sent Puck another death glare. "He shouldn't be here."

"Well I am here, Q and you're going to have to deal with it," Puck snapped.

"Maybe we should sit quietly," Jesse suggested. "The restaurant isn't that far away."

Quinn stared straight ahead and Puck swallowed his sarcastic remark. As much as he wanted to tell Quinn to shove it, he knew Jesse had a point. This night was about Rachel and she was never going to listen to what he had to say if he let Quinn keep pissing him off. He shifted in his seat and turned to stare out the window. One way or another he was going to make Rachel hear him out before the night was over.

… … … … ….

Rachel stared out the window of the cab as her dads continued to chat happily about the play and how proud they were of her. She managed to give them several genuine smiles and interject appropriate comments when necessary, but she could only give them half of her attention. The rest of her brain was trying to figure out why Noah had shown up all of a sudden and what she was going to do about it.

She would get through dinner on the sheer force of her acting skills. Her dads hadn't noticed any tension between them yet and she planned to keep it that way. They were only in town until the following night and Rachel wanted their trip to be perfect. Maybe Quinn was right and it was ridiculous that she hadn't told them the truth about Noah, but what was done was done. She wasn't going to ruin their relationship with Noah now and put a huge damper on their whole trip. She was doing what was best for them.

A tiny voice in the back of her head told her that she was doing it for Noah too. He'd always gotten along so well with her dads and he had told her once in a rare moment of showing his feelings that it meant a lot to him that they were nice to him from the start and never judged him for his past mistakes. Noah wasn't close to a lot of people and Rachel didn't want to take her dads away from him.

But that did not mean that she was going to forgive him or forget the horrible way he had walked out on her. Rachel swallowed hard, refusing to let the lump build up in her throat again. She was done crying over Noah. She knew Quinn thought she was fooling herself and letting Noah come to dinner was a mistake. Maybe it was, but there was nothing she could do now.

Rachel wondered how things were going in the other cab. Quinn and Noah were probably on the verge of killing one another and Jesse was going to have to try and keep the peace. She knew she was going to owe him big time for bailing and forcing him to deal with the situation on his own.

The cab was getting closer to the restaurant and Rachel tried to push all the negativity aside. The hard part had been seeing Noah again and that was over. She knew he was going to be sitting at the table with her and joining in the conversation. All she had to do was mentally prepare herself for the challenge. If she could get up on a Broadway stage, she could have dinner with the man who broke her heart. (She ignored the voice in her head that told her one had nothing to do with the other).

As the cab pulled to a stop, Rachel heard the first few bars of a familiar song coming from the radio and her lips curved into a smile before she could stop herself. Suddenly, she was fifteen again sitting in the choir room while Noah serenaded her with _Sweet Caroline_. He'd sung to her to prove a point and her heart had practically burst out of her chest to drop at his feet. She had nodded her head and agreed to be his girlfriend the second he was finished.

But that moment didn't even come close to the next time he sang for her and the memory hit her like a dagger through the heart.

**Year 3**

Life was pretty close to perfect as far as Rachel was concerned. She was a senior, only a few short months away from graduating, moving to New York City and preparing for her future as a star. But it wasn't just her bright future that had her waking up each morning with a smile on her face. Things were finally going her way at McKinley.

New Directions had taken second place at Nationals the previous year. It had been huge for the club and for the school. Everyone assumed this would be the year they took first place and Rachel was confident it was going to happen. They still had the same core group and the new members they had picked up over the past two years only made the club stronger.

People didn't go out of their way to pick on the glee kids anymore. Granted, they still were not as popular as the Cheerios or the football players, but they were no longer at the sub basement level of the high school food chain. There were times when certain Neanderthal hockey players still tried to get in her face, but Rachel wasn't intimidated by them. Thanks to her friendships with Puck and Quinn, Rachel knew what it was like to finally have someone on her side.

Of course, it didn't hurt that she was dating the captain of the football team. Rachel loved being Finn's girlfriend. She'd wanted him from the first moment they sang together and once she finally had him, she was on top of the world. Their relationship hadn't exactly been smooth sailing at first. Quinn assured Rachel that she was over Finn and didn't mind if she dated him, but Rachel had still worried she was violating the best friend code.

She had felt strange telling Puck about their new relationship too. Puck and Finn had slowly started talking to one another again and while they were never going to be like brothers again, Rachel didn't want things to be awkward since she would be spending time with both of them. When Rachel expressed her concerns, Puck had rolled his eyes and told her to stop being such a girl. She assumed that meant he was on board and Rachel and Finn practically became the king and queen of glee club.

Things fell apart so fast that Rachel did not see it coming. She assumed the extra stress was because they were working so hard to prepare for Nationals. She wasn't offended when Finn didn't want to hang out after baseball practice because he was tired. They were all tired. Half the time, Rachel, Quinn and Puck just laid around the Berrys' living room watching whatever was on until one of her dads pointed out it was a school night and Puck headed home. She didn't blame Finn for not coming over. He wasn't missing anything.

The first time she knew something was wrong was when one of the hockey players walked by and told her that the red sweater she wore made her head look fat. The insult was silly and made no sense. Rachel had heard a lot worse in her life and wouldn't have thought twice about it, except for the fact that Finn snickered. He covered it quickly with a cough, but she heard it and he made no move to defend her or himself. She called him on it and he told her she was imagining things and walked away.

Rachel wanted to blame that on stress too, but she had a hard time explaining why Finn no longer called her or offered her rides to and from school. He barely acknowledged her unless they were singing together in glee and even then, he wouldn't meet her eyes. Quinn was getting annoyed by his behavior and urged Rachel to ask him what his problem was before Quinn gave him a piece of her mind.

Finn sat down with her on the bleachers after baseball practice on Friday afternoon and when she practically begged him to tell her what was wrong, he told her he was tired of being the only guy on the team who was still a virgin. He told her that he cared about her and he would never pressure her into doing anything she didn't want to do, but he wasn't going to wait around forever. Rachel had been too stunned to speak. He apologized; she got up and walked away.

Quinn held her while she sobbed her eyes out for two days straight. Rachel barely got out of bed and she wondered how she could love someone who was so selfish. It wasn't that she was opposed to sex, exactly. She just wanted it to be special and meaningful and she thought Finn understood that.

After the weekend was over, Rachel had pulled herself together and decided she was going to try talking to Finn again. She wanted to see if it was possible to salvage their relationship. They had been through too much to just give up without trying to reach some sort of compromise. (She wasn't exactly sure what that compromise would consist of, but she wanted to try).

Rachel knew right away that something was wrong. People were whispering everywhere she went and Kurt and Mercedes looked at her like they felt sorry for her. She asked Tina what was going on and she literally stammered before she turned and walked away. She was washing her hands in the restroom just before lunch when she finally found out what everyone else seemed to know already.

Quinn came in, checked underneath the stalls to make sure they were alone and quietly filled Rachel in on what she had learned from Brittany. There had been a party Friday night at the house of one of the Cheerios. While Rachel had been in her room crying her eyes out to Quinn, Finn had gone to the party and hooked up with Santana. Everyone who was at the party knew about it and by the next day, it was up on Jacob's creepy blog.

She stood at the sink, listened to every word Quinn had to say and just nodded. Quinn offered to take her home or hide out in the bathroom with her for the rest of the day, but Rachel assured her that she was going to be fine. Finn had made his choice and she could accept that. She could tell her best friend didn't believe a word she was saying, but Quinn respected Rachel enough to make her own choice.

Rachel kept her head up high for the rest of the day and pretended not to notice the stares and whispers. She saw the guilty look on Finn's face and the slightly smug one on Santana's. She ignored both of them and plastered on a smile like she didn't have a care in the world.

There was no glee practice that day and Rachel told Quinn to go home without her because she needed some time to herself. Rachel waited until she saw Quinn's car pull out of the parking lot before she started walking in the opposite direction. Rachel walked for nearly two hours before she realized what she needed to do.

The front door was open when Rachel arrived at the Puckermans' and she didn't think twice about letting herself in. She pulled the screen door closed behind her and stepped out of her shoes before walking toward the living room. It was empty and so was the kitchen, but Noah's truck was in the driveway, so she knew he was there. She hesitated for a brief moment and then climbed the stairs to his bedroom.

He had been in her room countless times, but Rachel had never seen his. She'd never actually seen any teenage boy's room except Kurt's and she really didn't think that counted. The first bedroom she came to his sister's and it was empty. She figured she was probably at a friend's or possibly detention (she was a Puckerman after all).

The sound of a guitar drew her attention across the hall. Rachel stood in the doorway and saw Noah sitting on his bed tuning his guitar. He hadn't noticed her yet so she took the opportunity to look around. The walls were covered in sports posters and there was a fair amount of clutter on the desk and dresser tops, but for the most part the room was a lot neater than she would have expected.

She raised her fist and knocked on the open door. Puck's head shot up in surprise and when his eyes met hers, Rachel knew that he knew what had happened. She saw the flash of sympathy mixed with uncertainty like he didn't know what he was supposed to say to her. She offered a small smile.

"Hi Noah," she said.

"Hey Munchkin," Puck replied. He set his guitar down and motioned for her to come in. She walked across the room, carefully smoothed out her skirt and sat down on the side of the bed so she was facing him.

"Were you at the party on Friday?" Rachel asked. She wasn't sure where the question came from. The last thing she wanted to do was hear a firsthand account of what happened.

"For awhile," Puck admitted. "I left early though." He hoped she wouldn't ask why he left early because he didn't want to tell her. He didn't want to tell her that he saw Finn and Santana together and knew they'd be fucking before the night was over. He had been tempted to grab Finn's big stupid head and punch him in the face until he came to his senses, but Puck knew he had no right to do that.

Rachel nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the blue and gray squares of his comforter. She was afraid that if she saw pity in his eyes she might start crying again and never stop. That wasn't why she was there.

Puck wasn't sure what to do. Rachel was never this quiet. Q had texted him during Algebra to tell him how worried she was about Rachel. She told him Rachel had taken the news a little too well and she was worried that she was going to have a breakdown if she tried to keep everything inside. He could see now what she meant.

"Rachel, do you want me to do something?" Puck asked. Normally, he would already have pounded the douchebag's face in, but it was Finn. Considering Puck had knocked up his first girlfriend, he knew saying anything (or beating his face in) would make him a hypocrite and he needed to stay out of it. But seeing Rachel looking so subdued made him want to rethink his options.

"There is," Rachel said quietly. She finally raised her head and met his eyes again. "Noah, I want you to take my virginity," she said.

Puck was pretty sure time stopped and hurled him into some weird parallel universe because there was no fucking way he heard the words that just came out of her mouth correctly. He stared at Rachel and wondered if she had slipped into some new brand of crazy. But then he saw that familiar look of determination in her eyes and he realized she was serious. Rachel Berry was sitting on his bed asking him to take her virginity.

"Fuck, Berry," Puck muttered.

"Exactly," Rachel replied. She smiled, pleased that he was on the same page. "But I'd prefer if you didn't refer to it that way."

Puck's eyebrows nearly shot off his head. The smile might have freaked him out more than the words coming out of her mouth. She was acting like this was a normal occurrence and it was natural for her to drop in out of the blue and offer herself up to him. He really wanted to kick Finn's ass now.

"Rachel, I'm not going to have sex with you," he told her.

The smile fell from her face as quickly as it had appeared and the hurt was back in her eyes. "Why not?" she asked.

"Because it wouldn't be right," Puck replied. He nearly snorted at how ridiculous those words sounded coming from his mouth. The Puckerone did not turn down sex with hot, willing girls. But this was different. He knew she didn't really want to do this.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Who are you to tell me what's right? I want to lose my virginity today and I want you to be the one to take it. What is the problem?" she asked. Panic was starting to build up in her chest. She had expected him to be surprised, but she'd never imagined he would say no.

Puck closed his eyes and tried not to lose his temper. She was hurt and angry and he didn't want to make things worse. "Rachel, I know you and I know you don't want to do this. We're not doing this," he said firmly.

"You took Quinn's virginity," Rachel reminded him.

He glared at her, irritated that she was still sharp enough to play that card. She was trying to push his buttons. She wanted to make him angry so that he would just give her what she wanted. He knew how her crazy-ass mind worked. "Yeah and look how well that turned out for everyone," he spat bitterly.

For a brief moment, Rachel felt guilty. She was pushing him and that had been a low blow. But she couldn't apologize until he gave her what she wanted. "I know you think this is just some crazy idea that I came up with, but it's what I want." She reached into her purse and pulled out her notebook. "I made a list of pros and cons."

"You…I…" Puck stammered in disbelief. "Fuck, Munchkin, you really know how to hit those new levels of crazy." He snatched the notebook from her hands and glanced down at the list. The pro side filled almost the entire page and he couldn't help the surge of pride when he saw the words "knows what he's doing" near the top of the column. He handed the notebook back to her and pointed to the first item on the con list.

Rachel stared down at the words she had written. _It might ruin our friendship_. She swallowed hard and tried to blink back the tears that were building up in her eyes. "It might not though," she said softly.

"Yes it would and we both know it. Look, Rach, I've done more shit I'm not proud of than most people twice my age ever will and I'm probably going to do a lot more because that's who I am," Puck said. "But I'm not going to screw up the first real friendship I've had. Yeah, it would be awesome, but you'd regret it and then Q would probably cut my dick off. Is that really something you want to happen?"

Rachel laughed. She had a mental image of Quinn going after Puck with a meat cleaver. The more she thought about it, the harder she laughed. Her whole body started to shake and it wasn't until Puck pulled her into his lap and held her as tight as he could that she realized she had started sobbing.

She fisted her hands in his shirt and cried uncontrollably. He didn't say anything, just held her and lightly rubbed his hand down her back. Rachel cried until she couldn't breathe and her sobs became desperate gasps for air. Puck reached for the bottle of water on his desk and pushed it into her hands.

"Drink this," he ordered.

Rachel nodded against his chest and gratefully took the bottle. She let the liquid soothe her dry throat and took several deep breaths to regulate her breathing. She raised her head and saw that his shirt was completely soaked through with her tears. Embarrassed, she shifted her eyes back to the comforter.

"I'm sorry, Noah," she said quietly.

"It's cool," Puck replied. He stroked his hand over her head, tugging on her hair a little until she looked up at him. "What are friends for, right?"

Rachel managed to give him the tiniest of smiles. "Apparently, they're not for dropping in and demanding sex from," she teased.

Puck laughed. Despite her red, puffy eyes, he was starting to see glimpses of Rachel again and he was relieved. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Rachel nodded, shifting back into a sitting position so she could face him more easily. "You could sing to me. Music always makes me feel better," she suggested.

Puck smirked. Chicks dug his voice. He saw the way they all swooned when he did solos. "Any requests, Munchkin?"

"Surprise me," Rachel replied.

He reached for his guitar and absently began to strum while he tried to think of a song that would make her smile. Inspiration struck and he smirked at her again before he started to sing.

"_Aruba, Jamaica, oooh, I wanna take ya_

_Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama_

_Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go"_

Rachel covered her mouth with her hand and started laughing. "Kokomo, really?" she asked in surprise. Noah had never struck her as a Beach Boys fan.

"Fuck yeah, Kokomo," Puck replied. He raised an eyebrow at her skeptical look. "Come on, Munchkin. It is impossible to be upset when you're singing a song about tropical islands. Would you prefer Surfin' USA?"

She laughed again, feeling like herself for the first time in days. "Kokomo is good. Let's start over from the beginning and we can work on your pit…" She was cut off when he covered her mouth with his hand.

"This isn't glee practice, Berry. We're just two friends jammin' to the Beach Boys. Relax and go with it," Puck suggested. He waited until she nodded to drop his hand from her mouth. "Good girl. Now sing loud and pretend we're on a beach somewhere singing this. Like that kick ass episode of Full House when they went to Hawaii."

She stared at him for a moment wondering how she had gotten so lucky. Despite his reputation and rough edges, Noah was a really good guy. He'd refused to take advantage of her even though she had practically begged him to and now he was cheering her up with the Beach Boys and his surprising knowledge of a Full House episode.

Puck's eyes met hers. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Rachel replied.

He grinned and started to sing again.

**Year 10**

Dinner went much better than Rachel expected it too. She had no choice but to sit next to Noah and she did her best to ignore the way his leg would occasionally brush against hers. (She told herself it was an accident, but she knew he was probably doing it on purpose). Jesse managed to keep Quinn on her best behavior and her dads seemed liked they were on top of the world. The conversation flowed freely with no awkward moments and every time Rachel smiled or laughed, it was genuine.

Her panic started to return when it was time to leave the restaurant. Her dads were going back to their hotel and told Rachel and Quinn they would meet them for brunch tomorrow before they went to see Jesse's show. She hugged each of her dads and told them how much she loved them. While Jack was hugging Quinn, Puck grabbed Rachel's wrist and tugged her away from the group. She had no choice but to follow because she couldn't risk making a scene in front of her dads and he knew it.

"What do you want, Noah?" Rachel demanded. She didn't like that he was still holding onto her, his thumb gently brushing slowly over her skin. (She most definitely did not like the fact that the simple act had her pulse skyrocketing).

"We need to talk, Rachel. If you don't want to do it now, just tell me when you're free and I'll be there," Puck replied.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Since when?" she snapped.

He tried to ignore the pain that shot through his heart. He deserved her anger after the way he left and he couldn't blame her for thinking he wouldn't follow through. "I mean it, Rachel. I'm not going anywhere until we talk even if I have to camp outside your apartment."

"I'm sure your coaches will expect you back in Arizona before too long. I really don't think there's anything left to say," Rachel replied.

"That's the thing," Puck said. "I'm not going back to Arizona. I'm moving to New York."

Rachel didn't think there was anything he could have said that would have shocked her more than those words.


End file.
